Christian Living

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Larry Lilly’s Letter Thursday November 9, 2006

Writing the articles on friendship has been a grand journey along well trod paths and also a few slippery slopes. I have had a penchant for rushing into neighborhoods where angels fear to tread since I was a child. I have many physical and emotional scars to prove it.

So, you may appreciate the following note from long time friend, Pastor Lloyd Shepherd:

“Your series on friendship has been great, thanks for the many thoughts. I was recently blessed with a report of real friend. I only have one preacher friend in the area. We do not have a lot of fellowship due to our schedules. It appears another local preacher, whom I have never met, and would not know if I passed him on the street, was talking to my friend and began to speak evil of me. My friend, suddenly and without delay dismissed the other preacher from his presence and let him know in no uncertain terms that he would not tolerate such talk about his friend. Some of our own flock would not so defend us.”

The letter goes on to assure me that my greatness is recognized and deeply appreciated. I am grateful for this.

Over the years I have been friends with several men who are NOT friends with each other. I have made it a part of my friendship not to listen to any negative gossip from one about the other. By the same token I have learned to continue friendship with folks who are dear friends to some of my many avowed enemies. I do not like my friends because of whom they like or dislike. They are my friends for other reasons. If we in the Lord’s work ever get over the third grade playground mentality that all of my friends are mine exclusively we may get around to winning our world for Jesus.

In synch with today’s note from Pastor Shepherd, a principle of friendship is the willingness to be a friend even when in the company of someone, even a powerful someone is not your friend’s friend! This principle is very easy to write about and enlarge upon, but it can get sticky, especially in religious circles, what with first, second and 33rd degree separation ideas. I suppose that if you were friends with Peter, this friendship excluded Paul who at one time withstood the alleged first pope and that to his face! Just think about how deluded souls sided with Paul against Mark, only to have Paul waffle and take Mark back as a friend! You can see where this is going, so why not be like Barnabas and be friends with Paul and Mark? The idea, “If you’re his friend, you cannot be mine” is childish and very costly to work of Christ. And to the persons involved in it, because sensible people reach a point where there is a tad of fear in being your friend, for what if you found out they were seen talking to so and so, and that in a friendly manner?

Henry Ward Beecher, who was acquainted with grief, wrote:

“Every man should keep a large cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends.”

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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